Computers have revolutionized the manner in which the political process is conducted in at least four areas: (1) computerization of political information; (2) international communication and communication between politicians and their constituencies; (3) political data processing; and (4) political events simulation.

Computerization of Political Information

The computerization of political information is linked to the computerization of libraries, archives, and museums and to the dissemination via the Internet of documents published by governments, non-profit organizations, and special interest "think tanks." Public libraries equipped with computers allow patrons to seek books and articles in periodicals, newspapers, and web sites on any given political subject. Through these resources, the general public can stay informed about local, regional, state, national, and global political issues. A museum's inventory, including articles pertaining to historical and political events, is usually kept in a computerized database where it can be searched directly by visitors. Also, many...